Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FURROW OPENER FAR l~xJA,lG SHANK SEEDE'ItS
This invontio~n is in the field of agricultural seders and in particular such
sccdcrs for
simultancousfy depositing seed and fertilizer in separate bands.
E
~ACKGROUNI~
No-till sxders for seodinl, directly into standing stubble and reaidue from a
prior crop
without cultivation are well lanown in modern ,rain farming. Some types of
seeders,
lcnown as double-shoot sceders, place separate bands of send and fertilizer in
the soil
simultaneously. Such separation of the bands is necessary with higher
fertilizer rates to
pzcvcnt damage to the seed.
As with all seeders, seed should be placed at a consistent depth on a bed of
undisturbed
soil. The fertilizer should be placed at a consistent depth preferably deeper
than the send
az~d laterally offset from the seed sufficient to prevent seed damage, but
close enough to
provide nutrients early in plant growth. In typical seeders, the fertilizer is
placed first in a
~r
fertilizer furrow, and some soil is allowed to fall back onto the fertilizer
before the seed is
i_
placed in order to ensure separation. In order to prawide the undisturbed soil
far the seed
bed, a second seed furrow is preferably created above and to one or both sides
of the
fertilizer.
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Various types of double-shoot seeders have been developed. fin some, the
Fertilizer and
scud furrow openers are fastened together, as illustrated in United States
patent Number
4,607,5$1 to lCopecky. The StcalthTM opener of Flexi-coil Ltd of Saskataon,
Canada is
another example of this integrated dual furrow opener, which creates separate
fertiliser
and seed furrows, and channels send and fertilizer to the respective furrows
to create
separated bands.
The dual furrow opener is connected to the bottom end of a leg or shank
extending down
from the implement frame. The shank can be hollow and define channels for seed
and
fertilizer, as illustrated in the device of Kopecky, or the shank can be
solid, with seed and
fertilizer delivered to the furrow opener by tubas.
In other double-shoot seeders, the fertilizer and seed furrow openers are
separated by
some distance. A front fertilizer furrow opener creates a fertilizer furrow. A
rear seed
furrow opener is positioned some distance behind and to one side of the
ferti.ti~zar Furrow
opener and creates a seed furrow at a shallower depth than the fertilizer
furrow, and at a
stnall distance to one side of the Fertilizer furrow. Such seeders with
separated seed and
fertilizer furrow openers arc disclosed in Canadian Patent Number 1,239,835 to
Halford,
2~ in United States Patent Numbers 5,331,907 and 5,396,851 to the present
inventor
l~eaujot, and in United States Patent Number 5,609,~I 14 to Burton.
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In the Halford and Beaujot devices, the fiurow openers arc stationary blade-
type openers
which cut through the soil to form the furmw. Those blade-type openers are
also
commonly referred to as knife openers when they arc narrow, or hoe openers
when they
are wider. Blade-type openers are characterized by their fixed nature, with no
moving
parts. In the device of Batten, on the other hand, the furrow openers are disk-
type
openers, comprising disks which rotate as they cut through the soil.
Regardless of the
type of opener, in the Halford, Beaujot, and Batten devices it is clear that
there is a
substantial separation between the front and rear furrow openers, in
contradistinction to
the integrated furrow openers of Kopecky and Flexi-coil's Stealth 'n'~.
In the Halford and Bcajot devices, the front fertilizer furrow opener is
mounted on a front
shank, while the rear seed furrow opener is mounted separately and behind the
front
fertilizer flirrow opener on a rear shank extending downward, thus providing
separation
between the openers. Commonly, the bottom of the shank actually forms the
furrow, thus
not requiring any separate furrow opener attached thereto. Vila shank forrn.s
only one
furrow, and so this simple furrow opener is economical and practical.
In the Hazton device, the front fertilizer fturow opening disk is mounted on a
shank
extending down from the frame. The rear seed furrow opening disk is mounted
separately and behind the front fertilizer furrow opening disk. The separation
of the
furrow opening disks is provided by an arm attached to the shank near the
bottom end of
the shank and extdnding rearward to where the rear seed fiurow opening disk is
attached.
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t
To ensure the desirable fu?n seed bed, the orientation of the seed and
fertilizer furrow
openers sliauld be maintained such that the rear seed furrow opener operates
in soft
beside the front fertilizer furrow that has not been disturbed by the
preceding front
fertilizer furrow opener. On seeders with separated front fertilizer and rear
seed furrow
I
openers, this can be problematic.
The rear seed opener is creating a seed furrow that is very close to an open
fertilizer
fuz~-ow, such that only an inch or so of soil separates thtm. Especially where
the soil is
hard, the rear furmw opener tends to move toward the existing adjacent
fertilizer furrow
since there is little lateral force exerted from that direction, while in the
apposite direction
the soil is undisturbed and so resists. The soil in the lateral separation
area is also
sorncwhat fractured by the action of the front fertilizer furrow opener as it
passes.
The result of this tendency is negligible in the integrated dual furrow
openers, because the
relative pOSlti011$ bf the furrow forming cicmcnts are fixed, rigid, and close
together.
Where the front fertilizer and rear seed fiurow openers are separated however,
the result
can he that the seed furrow opener moves too close to the fertilizer furrow,
or is fact
moves on top of it. The relatively lengthy arm or shank holding the rear seed
fuzrow
2b opener in position is subject to leverage forces transmihed from the furrow
opener to the
mounting of the arm or shank which can cause bending. The result is especially
noticeable where linkages and mounts become worn.
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F
Also, because of the front to rear separation between the fertilizer and seed
furrow
openers, inevitably during toms or while following curves in the hold, the
rear seed
furrow opener will sometimes follow directly in the fertilizer furrow created
by the front
fertilizer furrow opener. As the seedcr straightens out, the send furrow
opener mu,~t thin
break through the wall of the fertilizer furrow to assume its proper position
in undisturbed
soil beside the fertilizer furrow. 'Where the soil is hard, the seed shank can
bend slightly
such that the seed furrow opener follows iz~ the fertilizer furrow for some
considerable
distance before breaking through the fertilizer furrow wall and moving to the
proper
position. !t must be remembered that the desired lateral separation between
the furrows
is on the order of 1.0 to 1.5 inches. Small deflections of the arm or shank
holding the remr
sued furrow opener can be significant.
To ensure separation of fertilizer and seed, it is desirable to have some soil
fall into the
fertilizer furrow before the seed is placed. As well, the soil disturbed by
the seed furrow
opener should be packed firmly over the seed to facilitate fast germination
and reduce
evaporation in the vicinity of the seed. A problem vsrith those seeders is
that the ground
engaging front face of a conventional furrow opener is syxxmaetzical so that
soil is thrown
more or less edually and randomly to both sides of the furrow opener. It is
irnportant to w
maintain sufficient loose soil close to the furrows, and to have the soil move
to locations
desirable, for proper filling of the seed and fertilizer ws.
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On seeders with separated front and roar furrow openers, there are inherent
problems with
the flow of soil and reside around the rear opener. Compared to integrated
furrow
openers, the soil arrd residue must flow around twice as many shanks so there
is an
increased tendency foz~ residue wadding and plugging around the opontrs. The
shanks arc
closer together, restricting the space available for residue flow, and residue
tends t4 wrap
around tkae front fertilizer shanty and land and collect on the seed shank
behind it. if wads
of residue collect and drag, then drop off the seed shanty, or collect and
plug around the
seed shank, proper operation of the secdcr is inhibited, and the operator may
have to stop
and clear residue from the seeder.
Canadian Patent Number 1,239,$35 to Halford discloses a pair of deflector
plates
attached to the frost fertilizer shank and extending rearwards on each side of
the seed
shank to just in front of the packer wheel. Thcsc deflector plates deflect
trash away t=om
the shanks and Backer wheel, and prevent trash from collecting. T(ao bottom
edge of the
plates caincidcs generally with the ground. Wct soil however can quickly build
up on
these plates, and actually exacerbate the residue floor problem.
U ARY OF THE INVEN~'fX(JN'
1t is an object of the present invention to provide a double-shoot seeder
wit>a separated
front and rear furrow openers making first az~.d second hlterally separated
furrows wherein
the separation of the first and s~ond furrows is more consistent.
F_-
f'
P'
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It is a ftZrther object of t.b~e present invention to provide a rear furrow
opener having a
front face oriented at an angle to an operating txavel direction such that
soil engaged by
the face is pushed toward the first furrow made by the front furrow opener,
and such that
the rear furrow opener tends to rnovc away from the fast f~urow.
;=
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a double-shoot
seeder with
separate front and rear furrow openers wherein the inherent problems of soil
and residue
flow around the rear opener are reduced.
Izx a first aspect the invention provides a sender far depositing first and
second
agricultural products in Laterally separated furrows in the growad when
traveling along the
ground in an. operating travel direction. The seeder comprises a front furrow
opener
mounted on the seeder so a,5 to engage the ground and form a first furrow
therein and a
f rst tube for delivering the first agricultural product to the first fiurow.
A rear furrow
opener is mounted on the seeder separately and behind the front ftu7tovv
opener so as to
engage the ground and form a second fhrrow therein beside the first furrow.
'fbe rear
furrow opener has a ground engaging front face oriented at an angle to the
operating
travel direction such that a far side of the face, farthest from tlxe :first
furrow, is ahead of
an opposite near side of the face such that soil engaged by the face is pushed
toward the
first furrow. A second tube delivers the second agricultural product to the
secrntd
furrow.
t_
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In a second aspect the inventiozi provides a shank assembly adapted for
mounting on a
seeder frame to deposit fertilizer and seed in laterally separated bands itn
the ground. The
shank assembly comprises a front shank having a bottom end adapted to engage
the
ground and form a first harrow therein and a fertilizer tube for delivering
fertiliser to the
first furrow. A rear shank is located behind the front shank and has a bottvln
end adapted
to engage the ground and form a second iturow therein beside the first furrow.
A seed
tube delivers seed to the second furrow. The bottom end of the rear shank has
a
substantially flat ground engaging front face oriented at an angle to the
operating travel
direction such that a far side of the face, farthest franc the first futraw,
is ahead of an
opposite xtear fiide of the face such that soil engaged by the face is pushed
toward the first
fltrrow.
w
The angle of the front face of the rear furrow opener at the bottom of the
rear shank
guides the soil being moved by the opener toward the front furrow where the
agricultural
material deposited is typically fertilizer. This improves the filling of the
fertilizer fun-t~w
and reduces the risk of seed, as the second agricultural rnatcrial, falling
too close to the
potentially harmful fertilizer. Of course Borne of the soil dislodged by the
front furrow .
opener will still move away from the first furrow, but substantially more of
the disturbed
i:
soil will be moved towards tllo first furmw thin is the case with conventional
symmetrical furrow openers. The soil that does move away from the first furrow
will not
a_
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movo as far, leaving more soil izx the general area of the first and second
furrows so that
better filling of both furrows can be expected.
The angled (rant face of the rear furrow opener performs a second important
fhnetion as
it tends to hold the rear furrow opener in its proper position beside the
first furrow in soil
that is undisturbed by the front furrow opener. As the furrow opener cuts
through the
soil, the angled front face pushes it away frozen, the first fiurow, as the
angled face bites
into the soil on the side opposite the first furrow. On turns and curves where
the rear
shank travels in the first furrow, the opener will penetrate the wall better,
bath because of
the sharper edge, and because soil contacting the front face will exert a
force away from
the first furrow. The rear fiwrow opener will mare guickly assume its proper
position,
and wih be subjected to reduced bendxz~.g farces that result from failure to
penetrate the
furrow wall. Where shank linkages and mounts arc loose and worn, the fhrrow
opener
will tend to pull away from the first furrow rather than toward it. The angled
face
compensates for and works against the natural tendency of the rear shank to
move
towards the first furrow because of the reduced resastancc of the narrow wall
of sail in
that direction.
ii
a
A further benefit to the angled front face is at provides the opportunity for
thickening the
2Q abrasive resistant material a~ the leading side of the opener where the
greatest wear takes
place. The opener leading side furthest fraxt~ the fertiliser furrow generally
experiences
;,
h
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higher wear due to the higher forces developed in moving sail a greater
distance to a
loosened area.
In a third aspeot the invention provides a seeder for depositing first and
second
agricultural products in laterally separated furrows in the ground when
traveling along the
ground in an opeaating travel direction. The seeder comprises a front shank
mounted on
the sceder and having a bottom end adapted to engage the ground and form a
first furrow
therein and a first tube far delivering the first agricultural product to the
first furrow. A
rear shank mounted on the seeder behind the front shank has a bottom end
adapted to
1~ engage the ground and form a second furrow therein beside the first furrow,
and a second
tube delivers the second agricultural product to the second furrow. A flexible
membrane
is attached between the front and rear shanks, the membrazxe haviuxg a bottom
edge in
la
proximity to the ground when in an operating position, and the membrane
cxtcndang
upward from the bottaam edge.
l5
The flexible membrane prevents residue from twisting around the front shank
and
collecting on the rear shank. This membrane is flexible to maintain the
independent
movement of the two shanks. lndependant movement may be necessary in their
normal
operation, or while tripping of one or both shanks, or for moving in and out
of the
2p transport position. The flexible nature of the membrane reduces the
incidcrnce of mud ar
residue stickiu~g to the joining member in wet conditions compared to a rigid
plate. A,s
the membrane flexes, mud and residue will fall off.
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The membrane could be elastic, fabricated from a rubberized belting canvas
type material
with a reinforcing clement incorporated into the bottom, higher wearing,
ground
contacting edge. ,P~ chain or cable made from metal or high wear plastic could
be utilized
as the reinforcing clement. The membrane could be perforated, made for
instance from
interconnected links, or fabricated from a series of chains that are
interconnected or E
independent of each other within the span between the shazalcs. While such a
membrane
could provide some improvement in trash flaw, it is contemplated that a non-
perforated
membraac would be preferred, as straw would not then collect in the openings
of a
perforated membrane.
DESCRIPT)<4N (~F THE DRAWINGS:
While the inventiexx is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
era provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood iua
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams arc labeled with like numbers, and where:
Fig. 1 is a side view of a seeder with a shank assennbly of the invention
mounted
thereon;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional top view of the shanks of Fig. 1;
,:.
E
IlzS 25/05/2001 I~17~39 '~+1 306 358 6856 IOreceived
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Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional top view of the rear shank;
Fig. 4 is a side view of an alternate shank;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of the shank of Fig. 4;
Fig. b is a side view of a me~rbrano joining tha front and rear shanks;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional end view of the bottom edge of the membrane of
Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a side view of an alternate shank assembly of the invcnkion.
DETAILED DESCRIP'I'IQN OF TF1E ILL~1ST~1,'fEl7 EI~~OiIIXIVXEN'X'S:
Fig. 1 illustrates a seder 1 D for depositing first and second agriculhual
products in
laterally separated furrows 1, 2 in the ground 5 when traveling along the
ground 5 in an
operating travel direction T.
The seeder 10 includes the desired number of shank asseonblios 9 mountod
thereto. Tho
shank assembly 9 is illustrated in Fig. 1 and comprises a front shank 7 having
a bottom
end 7B forming a front furrow opener adapted to engage the ground 5 and fozaxa
a first
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furrow 1 therein. A first tube 8 is attached to the rear side of the front
shank 7 and
delivers the first agricultural product to the first furrow 1. A rear shank 11
is mounted on
the shank assembly 9 behind the front shank 7 and has a bottom end 11 B
forming a rear
furrow opener adapted to engal,e the ground 5 and form a second furrow 2
therein beside
the first furrow 1, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A second tube 13 delivers the
second
agricultural product to the second furrow 2. E
The bottom end 11 B of the roar shank 11 has a substantially flat ground
engaging front
face 12 oriented at an angle N to the operating tmve~ direction T such that a
far side 12F
of the face 12, farthest from the first furrow 1, is ahead of are opposite
near side 12N of
the face x 2. As the bottom end 11 B of the roar shank 11 moves throu,~h the
ground 5,
soil cngaged'by the face 12 is pushed toward the first furrow 1, as
illustrated by arrow $
in Fig. 3, and at the same time resistance of the ground S creates a force on
the shank 11
in direction F which tends to push the rear shank 11 away from the frst furrow
1.
Typically, the first agricultural product will be fertilizer 14, deposited in
the first furrow 1
farmed by the front shank 7, and typically as well: this first furrow 1 will
be somewhat
deeper than the second furrow 2. Seed 15 is typically deposited in the second
shallower
furrow 2. The fertilizer 14 and seed 15 are thus placed in the desired
laterally separated
bands in the ground 5.
1:.
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Thus the angle N of the front face 12 of the rear shank 1 I guides the soil
being moved by
the shank 11 toward the first furrow 1 where fertilizer 14 is deposited. This
improves the
felling of the fertilizer fi~rrovsr 1 and reduces the risk of seed 15 falling
too close to the
potentially harmful fertilizer 14. There is also less soil thrown away from
the general
area of the fcrst and second furrows 1, 2 so that better fillia~ of both
fun:aws 1, 2 can be
c
expected '
The angled front face 12 also holds the rear shank I 1 in its proper position
beside the first
furrow 1 in soil that is undisturbed by the front shank 7. As the rear shank l
l cuts
through the soil, the angled front face 12 pushes it away from the first
furrow 1. The
angled face 12 compensates for and works against the natural tendency of the
rear shank
l I to move towards the first furrow 1 that results from the reduced
resistance of the
narrow portion of undisturbed ground between the two.
~'he angled front face 12 provides the opportunity for thickening an abrasive
resistant
material on khe leading side 12F of the rear shank 11 where the greatest wear
takes place
due to the higher forces developed in moving soil a greater distance to a
loosened area.
As illustrated in Figs. 1 - 3, the front face 12 is provided by a hardened
member I G
E
attached to the front of the rear shank 11. The hardened member 16 is much
thicker, in
direction T, at the far side of the face 12F than at the near side 12N.
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The angle N between the front face 12 of the rear shank 1.1 and the operating
travel
direction T is contemplated for most conditions to be less than 7U degrees,
and generally
between 30 and 70 degrees.
The bottom ends 7B, 11B of the front and reaz shanks 7, 11 are the front and
rear furrow
openers. Alternatively, a separate furrow opening attachment 21 can be
supplied. Figs. 4
and 5 illustrate a conventional hollow shank 20 wherein the tube for
delivering
agriculkural material is incorporated in the shank 20. The furrow opening
attachment 21
is attached with a clamp 22 or the like to the bottom end thereof as is known
in the art.
The front face 12 of the furrow opening attachment 21 is oriented at an angle
as in the
other embodiments, and in addition is sloped back from the bottom end for
imprnved
penetration. The angled front face 12 performs the same functions as described
above.
Tk~~ angled front face can be adapted to conventional furrow openers of many
types
whore the characteristics thereof would provide a benefit.
The shank assembly 9 further comprises a flexible membrane 30 attached between
the
front and roar shanks 7, 11. The membrane 30 has a bottom edge 32 in proximity
to the
ground. 5 when in an operating position as illustrated in Fig. 1. The membrane
30 extends
upward from the bottom edge 32 to the top edge 31 located at a suitable upper
mid-point
of each shank 7, 11 _ The bottom edge 32 of the membrane 30 is reinforced with
a
flexible wear clement, such as the chain 33 illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, to
extend the life
of the membrane 30, since this bottom edge 32 will waar as it cont<~.cts the
ground 5. The
S~
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chain 30 can be attached to the bottom edge of the membrane 30 with flexible
ties or the
like. A high wearing nylon or plastic cable, or a steel cable could be
incorporated as the
wear element as well.
Tn the ernbodimcnt of Fig. 1 the rear shank 11 is connected to the ;6mnt shank
7 by a
tether chaizt i $, such that the shanks can move toward each other, but can
move away
from each other only as far as the tether chain x 8 allows, which is the
normal operating
position. The membrane 30 is a flexible sheet that is fairly tight when the
front and rear
shanks 7, 11 are in this naz~xaal operating position.
The metnbz~ane 30 could be elastic as wall as flexible, allowing for further
independent
movement of the shanks 7, '11 away from each other as is required in some
seeders,
instead of only allowing movement toward each other.
An alteniate shank assembly 39 is illustrated in rig. 8 where an elastic
membrane might
be used, siztce the rear shank 41 moves back and forth independently of the
front shank
47. Alternatively the membrane 30 could be mounted loosely between the two
shanks
41, 47 to allow the membrane to extend to the farthest possible distance
between the
F
shanks that the configuration allows.
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The ground engaging front face I2 of the tear shank 41 is oriented at an angle
in Fig. 8,
however the membz~az~e 30 could be used with the embodiment of Fig. 1 or 8
with a
conventional furrow opener as well.
Where the membrane 30 is elastic, the chain links of a reinforcing element at
the bottom
E:
edge 32 of the membrane 30 could be elongate, allowing the membrane 30 to
stretch. E
The membrane 30 provents trash and residue from wrapping around the front
shanks 7,
47. Essentially the trash flows around the front shank 7, 47 and slides down
each side of
the membrane 30 and passes an each side of the rear shank 1 l, 41. The
membrane 30 is
constan.tty flexing due to trash and soil moving against it from each side.
This flexing of
the membrane 30 sheds wet soil and trash such that same do not build up on the
membrane 30.
A packer 17 is attached to the shank assemblies 9, 39 and adapted to pack soil
over one or
both ws 1, 2.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or
modi~lcations in
i.
:.
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structure or operation which rnay be resorted to are intendod to fall within
the scope of
the claimed invention.
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